Endocytosis and vesicular trafficking determine the landscape of the cell's exterior, namely the density of surface molecules, such as receptors for growth factors and cytokines, adhesion molecules like integrins and cadherins, and a plethora of nutrient carriers. Hence, endocytosis is involved in signal transduction, cell adhesion and migration, as well as metabolism. To exploit these fundamental processes, malignancies subtly and multiply manipulate the endocytosis and the subsequent trafficking of protein cargoes. This is achieved by simultaneously altering the cytoskeleton, vesicle...

Evidence collected over the last 5-7 years indicates that multiple oncogenic mechanisms intercept vesicular transport by introducing mutated or otherwise altered components of vesicular transport mechanisms. Alternatively, evasion of endocytosis and/or enhanced recycling characterize trafficking of oncogenic receptors for growth factors. Finally, several recent studies have raised the intriguing possibility that drug-mediated normalization of vesicular transport may serve as a therapeutic goal in cancer.Cancer cells exhibit altered cellular responses to signals that regulate normal cell...